Introduced at DU membership banquets 20 years ago, decoys have become a staple at their events from coast to coast. They have taken many forms - from reproductions, or antique-looking works, to highly-detailed very limited edition designs.

Here are two DU 'event' decoys I purchased recently; the Greenwing Teal on the left and the Cinnamon Teal on the right. Both were made in China and sold through DU in 2007. I'm actively looking for the Bluewing Teal.

I am a bit disappointed that Ducks Unlimited recently turned to the Asian market for their sales products, one of the last organizations I thought would do this. Over the years Asian imports have been improving in overall quality, both from the design/profile standpoint, as well as in the painting details.

The introduction of Asian imports into the DU sanctioned decoy carvings certainly does not affect the value of previous DU event representative carvings. A number of talented artisans have contributed to the success of the Ducks Unlimited decoy program, which is offered as a component of the national event merchandise package. Included among the pioneer carvers whose creations were featured at DU events were Hershey Kyle, Jr., of California; T.J. Hooker of Illinois; Tom Taber of Montana; William Veasey of Maryland; Randy Tull of Minnesota; and Valerie Bundy of Indiana.